With the news that New York City and Washington D.C. have joined the trend of municipalities requiring employers of more than 20 workers to provide qualified pretax transportation benefits, a host of human resources professionals will be greeting 2016 with proposals on how this can be done. This is a trend that's not going away, so even if it hasn't hit your city yet, it's … [Read more...]
Why Your Business Should Use Snapchat for Marketing
The way people network is constantly evolving, and so are the platforms they are using. This creates an ever-changing environment for business owners trying to reach their audiences. However, being open to new technologies gives your business a competitive advantage. To be closed-minded in a time of constant change puts you in danger of being left behind. Take, for … [Read more...]
How to Boost Your Brand in 2016
So… what is a brand? "A brand is a reason to choose." Cheryl Burgess – Blue Focus Marketing "Branding is the sub-total of all the “experiences” your customers have with your business.” Bryan Eisenberg – Author of Waiting for Your Cat to Bark “A brand is a singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of a prospect.” Al Ries – Author of Positioning: the Battle … [Read more...]
The Elephant In The Global Economic Room
As we head into the tail-end of the year, and what seems like a never-ending set of horror stories from across the globe keep dominating local headlines, I've found some of my economic and business thoughts inevitably turning overseas. Not to Europe – where I think the fundamentals are reasonably sound despite the various political and security challenges they're currently … [Read more...]
Standing Desks Less Popular in Wake of New Study
After a flurry of studies suggesting workers who sit behind desks all day were endangering their health, many human resources departments were flooded with requests for standing desks and standing meetings as well as walking consultations. Now, a new study out of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom suggests that prolonged sitting does not actually increase … [Read more...]
“Dear Hallmark, Where’s My Section?” The Working Woman’s Missing Greeting Cards
Ava has just returned from a week long mega-meeting for her pharmaceutical company. The excitement is high from the top for the launch of a “novel medication with a disease state with very current options.” Ava has lost count of the number of similar meetings she and her colleagues have participated in. The meeting planning is beyond gigantic, and she can’t help but … [Read more...]
Tips for Getting Certified as a Women Owned Business
Becoming certified as a a women owned business---a Women Business Enterprise (WBE)---can bring a variety of benefits. Many public corporations and government agencies allocate a percentage of their business to women-owned businesses, potentially opening doors for your business and helping you achieve greater success. Unfortunately, getting that certification isn't easy. The … [Read more...]
What to Consider When Employees Want to Work from Home
As soon as an employee puts in a request to work from home, a manager inevitably raises the issue that their productivity will decrease and that it will be too hard to manage them from a distance. If that attitude prevails, companies can lose excellent employees. They also perpetuate myths that have been found to be untrue. The Truth about Employees Who Work from Home For … [Read more...]
Job Applicant Background Check Basics for Employers
The hiring process can be daunting. Resumes and interviews reveal only so much, and many employers want to dig deeper. A background check can be a useful tool that reveals information the applicant might want to keep secret. Before you jump to get a background check on that recent applicant, here are a few things you need to know to protect your business: 1. Get Written … [Read more...]
5 Behaviors Of Successful Entrepreneurs You Should Emulate
The best path to success is often emulating the pros. It takes a lot more than luck to get to the top and stay there, so proven, successful entrepreneurs should be your port of call when trying to determine what you need to get there. The following five behaviors have been tried and tested by some of the richest, most successful people in the world: 1. Define and Stick to … [Read more...]